Can I be accepted for a PhD after almost failing for my master degree or should I apply for another one first ?

[Maria Duke]

Hello! This is a post on behalf of a friend of mine who will register. We had a conversation and we thought sharing this here would help!

Two years ago, I completed my master's degree in Information Science Management at a prestigious university in the UK. However, I faced numerous challenges, including personal and mental health issues, as well as the demands of balancing my corporate job with my studies. Consequently, I struggled with nearly every course and ended up having to resit many of them.
Unfortunately, my university's policy on resits only allows for a maximum grade of 40%, regardless of the original score. As a result, my academic transcript reflects a significantly poor performance.
Given this transcript, I'm uncertain about the feasibility of directly applying for a PhD program. Would it be wiser for me to pursue a second master's degree before considering any plans for a PhD?

 

[Joshua Ferdinand]

Given this transcript, I'm uncertain about the feasibility of directly applying for a PhD program. Would it be wiser for me to pursue a second master's degree before considering any plans for a PhD?

I think this depends on what your undergrad (1st degree) is in and what classification you got.

In the UK for instance if you got a 1st class honours in your bachelors then just passed your masters you may be eligible for a PhD although it will most likely be more challenging to have this funded.

Alternatively, you could look at an integrated doctoral programme. Usually 1 year + 3 years full time, and includes the masters research as part of the programme. Check out findaphd.com for some options.